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Seton Hall mailbag

Q. you think Teague or Oliver will return this year? Can you project the roster for next year?

A. At the moment I expect them to return, but who knows what will transpire between now and Thursday’s game vs. Georgetown. Will be interesting to see how Willard handles their playing time. He made it sound like they would have to earn back their minutes.

As to the roster, you never know who will transfer but I expect Patrik Auda to return for his fifth year. There are five freshmen coming in, assuming they all qualify, plus a midseason transfer. So you have a backcourt of Whitehead, Gibbs, Sina, Carrington and Karlis. Frontcourt/wings are Auda, Mobley, Delgado, Rodriguez, Sanogo, Manga, Anthony and Ajou. Lot of potential there, but a lot of youth too.

Q. What is it going to take for Seton Hall to turn their fortunes around next season? Seems like there’s a good deal of talent, but discipline and injury problems, coupled with bad offensive play-calling, is dooming the Willard teams.

A. The talent will be upgraded next year, but the number one issue will be managing the personalities so everyone is on the same page and the players know and accept their roles. This is Willard’s charge going forward, and the emergence of some upperclassmen leaders would make a big difference. To your final point, I don’t believe Willard’s play-calling is a problem. Willard knows his Xs and Os. The problem is getting the players to carry out the plan. Not sure whether they have been wilfully disobeying, unable to summon the basketball IQ or simply not on the same page for whatever reason, but the endgame lapses have been maddening.

Q. Do you think Willard can make discipline stick from here on out? Like you said, it will not get any easier next season. That being said, what do you think Lyons thinks about this latest development? The fans are exhausted by the losing and by the drama that never seems to end. Can we ever right this ship?

A. Change is hard for anyone. It remains to be seen if Willard can sustain a long-term change in his management style. But recognition is the first step, and he’s done that. Lyons has a reputation for setting high standards, but he also believes in his coach and he’s going to be prudent. Can the ship ever be righted? Enough talent is coming in to do that, so yes.Q. How much leeway does Willard have with this recruiting class coming in? Does he get at least two more years?

A. Any coach who brings in a blockbuster class deserves a fair chance to coach that class. Barring an unforeseen scandal, Kevin will coach Seton Hall for at least the next two seasons.

Q. What’s happened to Gibbs at the FT line? He went from automatic to 50/50. Has to be all mental, right?

A. Probably some combination of a slump and perhaps some hitting of the wall. Remember, he hardly played as a freshman at Texas. This essentially is his rookie campaign. I wouldn’t worry about it as a long-term problem.

Q. Who is leaving after this season that isn’t a senior?

A. I don’t know, and if someone does transfer, they probably haven’t decided yet. There seems to be some suspicion that Patrik won’t be back, which I don’t quite understand. Auda is big, skilled and team-oriented, plus a great representative of the school and program. Any coach would love to have a player like that on board. Now if he decides he wants to make money in Europe that’s his prerogative, but I haven’t heard anything about that.

Q. Will they upgrade the schedule?

A. Yes. There’s nowhere to go but up. There will be an appearance in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands with some high-majors, plus a couple of other potential high-major games in the works. The big question is whether the Hall will finally bring a buzz-worthy opponent to the Rock to reward season-ticket holders. They do host Rutgers next year, and that’s always fun. We’ll see how it shakes out but I do expect improvement in this department.

Q. After four years of watching, interviewing, dissecting, is Willard the man for the job?

A. Kevin’s had some extraordinarily bad luck with injuries. In his team’s one healthy season, Seton Hall won 21 games. Inside basketball circles, his tactical and developmental skills are well-regarded. His recruiting has upticked appreciably. The final step—and it’s a critical one—is getting everyone on the same page. I think of Tom Coughlin, who adjusted his team management just enough to allow the Giants to flourish. It can be done. Willard knows what he has to do. Let’s see if he can do it, and then you’ll have an answer.

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About the Author

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.Email Jerry.